‘The Gathering’ Mural, a stunning tryptic mural created in 2016 by Richard Tetrault, is expanding with an additional seven new panels by Tetrault, Charlene Johnny, Marissa Nahanee and Jerry Whitehead. The Gathering Mural hangs in the Carnegie Theatre during the Festival and pays tribute to past and present DTES artists and activists, and to the diverse cultures and heritage of the Downtown Eastside. Meet the artists and hear the inspiring stories behind the artists and activists represented in this extraordinary mural.
Wednesday October 26, 4pm
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre
Details
Honouring Our Grandmothers Healing Journey Residency - Keeping the Fires Burning Led by Artist Producer Nadine Spence (Nlaka’pamux / Secwepemc), this residency features art, ceremony, teachings and storytelling that honour the indigenous grandmothers past and present who traveled to the Downtown Eastside from the BC Interior. The public us invited to participate, including placing messages for their ancestors, land and waters into a travelling community message chest created by artists of different nationalities with historic relationships with Indigenous peoples.
Wednesday October 26 to Thursday Nov 3
Various locations
Details and registration
Light Up the Night: Conversation with Travis Lupick Author and award-winning journalist Travis Lupick shares stories from his recent book, Light Up the Night: America’s Drug Overdose Crisis and the Drug Users Fighting for Survival (New Press, 2022). Told through embedded reporting focused on two heroic activists, this is the story of the courageous people stepping in where government has failed. Lupick is also the author of Fighting for Space: Drug Users’ Response to the Overdose Crisis. Interviewing Travis is award-winning author Amanda Siebert.
Thursday October 27, 1pm | Online
Details
Virago Nation is a collective of Indigenous artists creating performance through burlesque, theatre, song and spoken word to rematriate Indigenous sexuality. Through humour, seduction, pop culture and politics they will show Indigenous women designing a new dynamic and multi-faceted sexual identity rooted in their own desires. This is their reconciliation.
Thursday October 27, 8pm
The Ironworks, 235 Alexander
Details
Alice Street This award-winning documentary by film documentarion Spencer Wilkinson (USA), chronicles artists and a neighbourhood rallying to protect a beloved mural from the construction of a luxury condominium. Q&A follows, with Wilkinson, Desi Mundo (Alice Street muralist), Jean Swanson, Kevin Nanaquewitang (SRO Collective) and muralist Brandon Gabriel (Kwantlen First Nation).
Friday November 4, 7pm - 9pm
Carnegie Theatre, 401 Main | Free
Details
Urban Bandscape with Carnegie Jazz Band alumni The Festival is thrilled to bring an evening of jazz, rock, funk and improvised music to Carnegie! This not-to-be-missed concert of exceptional musicianship and socially relevant content features the newly minted Urban Bandscape with guest appearances from alumni of the Carnegie Jazz Band. The concert, entitled Gritty City, is designed to blow the roof off Carnegie and features a selection of original songs by Brad Muirhead; popular standards heard in the clubs and streets of Vancouver’s historic East End; and songs from the Downtown Eastside songbook.
Sunday October 30, 7pm - 9pm
Carnegie Theatre, 401 Main | Free
Details
Intangible Treasures of the Downtown Eastside Intangible Treasures of the Downtown Eastside (Zoom Shadow Two) is an online collection of short evocative shadow plays created on the Zoom platform by seven Downtown Eastside-involved artists who share intangible personal treasures that give them strength – from their culture and lived experiences to family stories and Chinatown’s Union Laundry. Co-produced by Runaway Moon Theatre (Enderby, BC) and Vancouver Moving Theatre.
Thursday October 27, 7pm
Online, registration required
Details
8th Symposium on Reconciliation & Redress in the Arts: Stories Have Always Been Our Governance This national dialogue on culture in Indigenous cities considers the needs of Indigenous cultural and urban practitioners and is deep-dive training for settler cultural and land-based organizations to learn from successful strategies to redress our policies and systems to support building Indigenous cities. Presented by Voor Urban Labs and the National Urban Indigenous Coalitions Council, in partnership with Vancouver Moving Theatre and the DTES Heart of the City Festival.
Friday October 28, 10am-2pm
Online | Details
Housing Justice with SRO Tenants This interactive dialogue and film screening, presented in collaboration with The Right to Remain Research Collective and filmmaker Eliot Galán, showcases Single Room Occupancy tenant researchers whose stories prompt moments of collective learning and transitional strategies for affordable, safe and healthy housing. Join the group at 1pm to watch three short films, followed by a conversation circle with the SRO tenant researchers and a community meal.
Saturday October 29, 1pm-3pm
Carnegie Theatre
Details
Two Amigos Walking Tour, with John Atkin and Bob Sung The Festival is excited to present a walking exploration of Chinatown with the powerhouse duo of civic historian John Atkin and tour guide Bob Sung. The Two Amigos bring a unique insight to the neighbourhood’s history, culture and architecture. Along the way you’ll discover what’s in the herbal stores, the fight for neighbourhood preservation, local architecture, and bbq’d meats!
Sunday October 30, 10am & 1pm
Limited capacity, registration required
Details
3rd Annual Legion of Flying Monkeys Evil Cult Singalong Come in costume to MacLean Park for the third annual Legion of Flying Monkeys Evil* Cult Singalong! Enjoy a rousing good time with music composed for the wildly original instruments built from Strathcona-grown wood; dance to protest-folk-rock and join in the pledge to become a part of a larger, completely benevolent corporation. What could possibly go wrong? *Caution: children will be exposed to humanist and socialist lyrics.
Monday October 31, 4pm
MacLean Park
Details
IronFest III Musicians from the UK, US, and Canada join local greats for three nights of daring sonic exploration at The Ironworks, a cozy and acoustically delightful jewel of the DTES. This mini-fest kicks off with SICK BOSS and Josh Zubot & Strings followed by two evenings that promise unprecedented, unrepeatable, and unmissable meetings between international innovators, cross-Canada all-stars, and local lights. Presented by Coastal Jazz with Heart of the City Festival and Music on Main.
Thursday, November 3 – 5
Ironworks Studio
Details
Honouring Writers of the Downtown Eastside A celebration of writers and poets – past and present – who mentor our community with their powerful words and ideas. We honour the amazing DTES poets who’ve passed before us; the DTES Writers’ Collective share their writings; Muriel’s Journey Poetry Prize offers readings from award-winning writers in honour of beloved DTES poet Muriel Marjorie; and the annual Sandy Cameron Memorial Writing Contest & Award Ceremony, presented by the Carnegie Newsletter, honours writers of today.
Saturday November 5
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre
12pm | 2pm | 4pm | 7pm
Details
The Prop Master’s Dream A new fusion opera based on the extraordinary true-life story of Wah-Kwan Gwan (1929-2000), a legendary prop master born to a Chinese father and an Indigenous mother in BC. Produced by Vancouver Cantonese Opera.
溫哥華燕鳳鳴粵劇團呈獻 “道具大師的尋根夢”
道具大師的尋根夢是根據關華坤 (1929-2000) 的真實故事改編而成，他是一位傳奇的粵劇界道具大師，父親是華裔，母親是卑詩省的原住民。
購票電話: 604-764-8181; 電郵: vancanopera@gmail.com
Saturday November 5, 2pm & 7pm SOLD OUT
2022年11月5日; 只演兩場：下午 2 時，晚上7時
Annex Theatre
Details
Together in Peace Presented with the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians, this annual Festival favourite concert nurtures peace through culture and community, and features the Hall’s own Barvinok Choir, Vancouver Folk Ensemble and award-winning Dovbush Dancers. Special guests Left Coast Labour Chorus bring the music of social justice and labour movements, and The Wheat in the Barley performs selections with an emphasis on Celtic and Slavic flavours. Followed by a Hall social.
Sunday November 6, 3pm
Ukrainian Hall
Details
